The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-04-23

Pueblo.
There were, our guides and packers
being disbandcd, two of us, and we
camped by the wayside, alone, in a
storm OF sleet and finally snow, under
an "A' tent. with II mules securely
tied under the shelter of the clouds, on
the night of November IS. The night
was such q one as makes every other
night comfortable. ''Balmy slcep!"
with u circle Of wolves bowling their
long-drawn. c%annibalistic choruses of
hades from every point of the compass
into u brains through our erect ears!
They used to have better times in the
army, even. W. did not awake early
we had not been to sleep. But we
moved on early, over the new-fallen
snow, benumbed and silent. with rs
far-away a look as Longfellow's Span
ish jew from Alicant, which %cndeavored
to reach over the mountains and into
civilization. little dreaming that civili-
cation was coming to meet us.
To come out of such Il bleak. wolf
haunted night among the lonely hills
of an Indian country upon a still. bleak.
November dawn scowling at you from
the low-browed sky, travel half a mile
and see the face of q young and pretty
woman look out at you from the frame
of a canvas-covered wagon by the
roadside--well! That was how it was.
A wipe of the slcet from our eyes and
Il second careful scrutiny, and above
all a 'NGood-morning," incarnated the
| apparition and overwhelmed us with n
returning consciousness of femininity
In a forgotten part of nature. This
consciousness was somewhat blurred
and made momentarily doubtful by the
ready appearance of a man, who could
never have seemed q more unnecessary
adjunct to the scenery We had seen
men, and even Indians. within the last
forty days, but a woman-we thought
them transmontane when we thought
ut all.
Half al hour of brisk chatter, with
an alto accompaniment to the baritone
and bass, revealed the answer to the
log-built. bough-covered c%onundrum
of the hot springs Of Pagosa. This
was the mar NIL tattered and torn who
kissed the maiden all forlorn for him
while he was alone, building his pio-
neer cot two ranges of mountains away
from her. He had all his household
gods and his goddess with him in the
wagon. With ian outfit Of a
wagon. two thin horses, a few blank
cts. as few cooking utensils. knives
and forks. plates, some sides of bacon,
sacks of flour, and other such things as
women stow away, even unknown to
men, to produce upon proper occasion
with triumph. and with an axe, rife,
revolver and ammunition. this ''frst
family" of Saint John was bound fol
home.
Now. l don't know how this little
family of carly settlers in the then love.
ly San Juan valley managed to survive
the Indians and the winter. Few
would have undertaken it, and dissua.
sion was tried with these resolute peo'
pie. But they were bound to have the
land around that spring-and they got
II. In less than two years the mining
fever filled up the adjoining regions OF
the Alamosa and San Juan, the Indians
were persuaded to go upon another
reservation, and now Pagosa is per-
haps a watering place which has its
fine hotels and which people visit, rs is
also Ojo Caliente, not far-for the west
south and east of it. which a few
years ago had but two or three houses
Of adobe, owned by Mexicans.
From where l met the pioneers.
to the northeast could be seen the great
white peak Of Sierra Blanca-White
m%ountain-of the Rocky chain, l3,6W
feet above sea-level. and to which one
had to look up, and still unexpectedly
higher, fur into the sky. There was a
storm upon the intervening plain, but
the mountain summit shone dazzlingly
white against a calm blue sky, and
with the vision lifted up the heart. Il
the spires Of u churches have some.
times u little Of such an effect, it is
weak and cvanescent when compared
with that Of the mountain, which takes
the heart rs with powerful yet tender
grasp. and seats it, famed free from
petty things. on its eternal throne for
a nom ent, that one may e ''thc king.
doms of the world and the glory OF
And enough Of all these the
settler who builds his home in sight Of
these heights possesses to prevail over
his life with h%ealthful influences and
enough Of content A'mom Barnes, IN
CHICAGO NeWs.